Two years ago, I moved from Brooklyn to Iowa – from concrete to cornfields – to give my fiction writing dreams a real-world whirl. Removed from all I had known – friends, family, career – I needed my new apartment to be homey and welcoming. It’s been a true haven for me, filled with sunlight and mementos of travels and loved ones. My bookshelf in particular is chockablock with things that make me smile: books, books, books; a wood-hewn slingshot from the Dominican Republic; the turtle shell I drummed on at a Belizean percussion school; some of my African doll collection; a mini-FLOTUS figurine (Christmas prezzie from my sis) - all capped by a makarapa hat from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (Go Indomitable Lions!).